A documentary on imprisoned members of Russian punk group Pussy Riot is set to make its world premiere at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, Hit Fix reports.
Pussy Riot – A Punk Prayer, co-directed by Mike Lerner and Maxim Pozdorovkin, chronicles the arrest and trial of three of the group's members, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alekhina, and Yekaterina Samutsevich. The three were arrested in March and charged with hooliganism after staging a February "punk prayer" protest against Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow's main cathedral.
Pussy Riot: Their Trial in Photos
The trial attracted much media attention, with many criticizing it as a show trial to scare off Putin dissenters, while artists like Paul McCartney, Madonna, and Red Hot Chili Peppers voiced support for the group.
The three women were sentenced to two years in prison in October, though Samutsevich was later freed on appeal. Following her release, Samustevich spoke with Rolling Stone about the media attention the group recieved, saying, "I am interested in seeing how I am represented. I see a certain misrepresentation on Russian channels. The Western, they are surprisingly accurate. Unfortunately, with Russian television, Russian publications, there is a problem. They cut out, manipulate and change the context. There is this view that is being pushed that I am just an ordinary girl that doesn't understand anything. Without political views, just a regular girl. A standard view of women in Russia."
There's no word on exactly when Pussy Riot – A Punk Prayer will premiere, but it will be a part of Sundance's World Cinema Documentary Competition. The Utah film festival runs from January 17th to 27th.
